No Outstanding Qualities
by Kevyn
Summary: It's Peter Pettigrew's last day at Hogwarts. He looks back on the last seven years with the Marauders and makes an important decision about the future. Deathly Hallows-compliant. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: _As always, I am not J.K. Rowling, and I am not making any profit from this. Enjoy!_

* * *

**No Outstanding Qualities**

* * *

The seventh year Gryffindor boys' dorm was a mess. The four boys were _supposed_ to be packing their trunks for their final departure from Hogwarts. Lily stood in the doorway, shaking her head sadly.

"There's just no hope for you boys," she complained. "Why _must_ you always leave things to the last minute?"

James twirled her around, smiling roguishly. "We've been waiting for you, of course, my beautiful flower." He planted a kiss on her forehead. Lily laughed.

"Why, James Potter, I do declare," she exclaimed. "I believe you have intentions upon my good self."

Sirius gallantly rescued her from James' embrace. "I do believe the rascal has, dear lady. I, on the other hand, only have intentions to charm you into charming my trunk for me."

"And how do you intend to do that?" Remus asked, looking up disapprovingly from the neatly stacked books he was loading into his own trunk. "I hope it doesn't involve _actual_ charms."

"Moony, please do not insult me," Sirius said. "I will, of course, charm her with my dashing good looks."

Peter snorted. He shoved a pile of clothes into his trunk. The inside of the trunk grew to accommodate them. "Please, Lily, _do_ cast the charm for him. You remember what happened last time."

_Peter tapped his wand against the side of his trunk. "Cresco Vacuus," he whispered, enjoying the sibilant feel of the spell. The emptiness in the trunk promptly increased, and Peter reveled in the warm pleasure of knowing he could do something well._

_Across the room, Sirius performed the same charm more dramatically. "Cresco Vacuus!" he proclaimed, brandishing his wand at the heirloom oaken trunk. The bubbly golden light of the spell shot off the polished brass lock and rebounded on the hapless Marauder. Sirius shrieked, then started laughing._

"_That tickled!" he exclaimed. Peter eyed his friend, concerned. _

"_That is probably not a good charm to get hit with," he said cautiously._

"_Nonsense," Sirius said, stretching in a way that distinctly reminded Peter of a dog. He kept seeing resemblances in his friends to their animal forms, and had a nagging worry that his own mannerisms would become more ratlike. "Where's Prongs and Moony?"_

"_Both already packed," Peter replied. "Moony's in the library getting in his last few precious hours before the summer leave, and Prongs has gone mooning after Evans."_

"_Prongs is mooning," Sirius sang. "Merlin, I'm hungry. Why don't they feed us properly? We've just finished our OWLS, and we're growing boys. Let's go raid the kitchens."_

_Peter allowed himself to be dragged down to the portrait of the fruit bowl, where Sirius mercilessly tickled the pear perhaps a bit longer than strictly necessary. The house elves laid out a feast, which Sirius ploughed into. Peter, who still suffered from lingering self-consciousness from early childhood chubbiness, abstained. A quarter of an hour passed. Then another._

_Even for a teenage boy, Sirius was eating a lot, Peter thought to himself. Then the answer dawned on him. That damnable space-maker charm! Peter knew how to reverse the charm, but that was only when it was applied to inanimate objects. Sirius was decidedly not inanimate. Peter sighed and went to fetch the first prefect he could find…_

_Lily Evans. She had lost James. Perhaps she had hexed him. Peter didn't care. He explained the situation and led her to the kitchens. Lily, after taking a picture of Sirius amid a huge pile of empty dishes scoffing a bowl of chocolate mousse, cast an altered version of the counter-charm. Sirius looked up for the first time in nearly an hour. His face fell. _

"_Why?" he moaned. "It was like…heaven." Then, groaning with having eaten too much, he finished the chocolate mousse._

Lily laughed. "Yes, Peter, I do remember."

"Last time?" Remus asked. "I think _you_ cast it for him last year, Peter."

"Yes," Peter allowed. A slow grin spread over Lily's face.

"You didn't tell them," she accused Peter and Sirius. Sirius threw himself at her feet.

"Please, kind lady, have mercy!" He flung an arm in Peter's direction. "This _rat_ of a friend of mine has been blackmailing me." Peter hadn't used the story for blackmail, but the joking accusation still stung.

"They didn't tell us what?" Remus asked, warily interested.

James came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yes, my heart, what have our compatriots been keeping secret from us?"

Lily twisted away. "You won't get a story _this_ good with pathetic endearments, James Potter. I want something much better. I want…" she paused. "Poetry."

"Roses are red, Violets are blue," James replied promptly. "Lily's my girl, and she's a flower, too."

"Ha," Lily scoffed. "You told me that one last week." As she turned to leave, she flicked her wand at Sirius' trunk. "_Cresco Vacuus._"

James followed after her, spouting poetry as he went. "As the snitch that I chase is her heart such a gold, and her eyes are green as a fresh pickled toad…"

"He's hopeless," Sirius declared, shoving his belongings into his trunk. "Next thing you know, we'll all be in our formals, singing 'Here Comes The Witch' as she floats down the aisle."

"Someday, you'll find someone like that," Remus observed. Sirius looked scandalized.

"_I_ am a Free Spirit, my dear Moony," he declared. "I quite enjoy the bachelor life, and intend to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. You, however, should find a nice bookish witch who can brew a good pot of tea."

"Thanks, Padfoot," Remus replied, his mouth twisting, "but that will be impossible. What with You-Know-Who gaining more followers and trying to recruit dark creatures, the Ministry is coming down hard on people like me. I doubt I'll be able to find employment—no luck so far, even though I've all the qualifications you three have, and you've all had offers, haven't you?"

Sirius and Peter were silent. Peter gloomily considered the low-level ministry job he would likely apply for. He pushed the other offer to the back of his mind.

"Well, I'm probably going to have to accept Dumbledore's offer," Remus continued, "as it's the only one I've been given."

Peter didn't know much about what Dumbledore had proposed to the mild-mannered werewolf. He had a vague idea it had something to do with a vigilante-style resistance group against the Death Eaters. He suspected the Headmaster had also approached James and Sirius. Peter was slightly rankled by the fact that he hadn't been deemed worthy. He wondered if Professor Dumbledore didn't think he was good enough.

Peter stood abruptly, dropping the lid on his trunk. "I'm going for a walk," he said stiffly. "Say goodbye to the old place."

As he left, he heard Sirius ask Remus in an uncharacteristically concerned tone, "What's wrong with Wormtail?"

"All this talk about girls and jobs," Remus replied in a low tone. "It's probably getting him down. And then the headmaster. I shouldn't have brought it up." He sounded worried.

"What I don't understand is why Dumbledore—" Sirius was saying as Peter rounded the corner of the staircase and finally heard no more.

* * *

It was a cool, slightly overcast spring day. A crisp breeze rippled over the lake. Peter walked along the shore, hugging himself to stay warm, wishing he'd brought his cloak. He passed a gnarled old tree that was mildly reminiscent of the Whomping Willow. Peter sighed. He supposed the last full moon may well have been the Marauders' last time to run together by night as animals.

Of course, he mused, Remus would have to go on changing, wouldn't he? Peter wondered what it would be like to have one's body enthralled to such a power, unable to _choose_ when one changes one's shape. He had that familiar tingling in the soles of his feet—the burning itch to change, to run free through the grass and feel the warm earth under his paws, to smell the strong spring scents that eluded his runny, sniffly human nose.

_They had been sure James would be first. Or Sirius. It was taking them much longer than they'd hoped, and it was beginning to be quite difficult to hide or explain away their absences to an increasingly-suspicious Remus. _

_It was easy enough to keep their illegal activities from the teachers and prefects, who were used to not getting proper answers from the prankster. But Remus, hurt by not being included and sure it was because they were no longer interested in a werewolf friend, pointedly ignored them if they came in late, sweating and excited._

_It had been a long time, but the boys were sure they were doing it right. Finally, in the deserted classroom they had claimed for their workspace, Peter felt something. At first, it was just a tingling in the soles of his feet and a cunning, snuffling feeling in the back of his mind. Then, in a roar, it overtook his body. _

_The world grew huge suddenly, and the feeling in his mind pushed to the front. Peter was overcome by the sudden change in his senses, and the other part—the rat part of his mind—assumed control while the human part succumbed to shock. He raced madly about the room._

_James and Sirius looked shocked. Then, James laughed. "Why, little Peter's got it!" he exclaimed. "Oh, bollocks. The two parts of his mind aren't reconciled to each other yet. Grab him, Sirius, we've got to pull him back to human."_

_The two boys scrambled about on the floor. Finally, Sirius grabbed Peter's tail. The rat turned around and bit him hard on the finger, drawing blood. Sirius yelped and recoiled. _

"_That little berk bit me," he said in amazement, staring at the blood on his finger. _

"_Petrificus Totalus!" James cried. "Come on, Sirius," he said. Together, they forced Peter to return from his animal form and removed the Body Bind. Peter was breathless._

"_That was wicked!" he exclaimed, grinning up at his friends. Sirius laughed a short, barking laugh and clapped Peter on the back. _

"_Congratulations, old boy," he said. "You're an illegal animagus."_

_James and Sirius followed Peter's success in the next few days. James became a stag; Sirius, a large black dog._

"_Always knew you were a mongrel," James laughed, pushing dog-Sirius off him. "Pureblood, my foot." Sirius changed back._

"_Full moon's in five nights," he reported with excitement. "Remus will be so surprised!"_

"_So we've four nights to make sure we've got this under control," Peter said._

"_Oh, come on, Peter," James scoffed. "You've had it under control for days now. You're a natural rat."_

Peter curled his toes and resisted the impulse to change. At Hogwarts, they only ever changed at night. During the hols, however, Peter escaped his family home and changed as often as possible. Now, though, everything would be different.

James probably _would_ marry Lily. He was smitten. James, Peter thought, was probably just waiting for the best opportunity to propose. Perhaps in the middle of the couple's romantic post-graduation vacation. And now Remus would be doing some kind of secret work for Dumbledore, and Sirius had his own plans, which Peter suspected involved a penthouse apartment and hordes of attractive witches. He might let Peter live with him if Peter asked, but he probably wouldn't want his ratty little school friend hanging about. Plus, there was that one element that none of them really wanted to think about—that dark, powerful element and the ominous threat that loomed over them all.

Lost in self-pity, Peter was surprised to be jerked out of his thoughts by the voice of Severus Snape.

"And I want to work for my Potions Mastery," the sallow-skinned young man was saying, "but, unfortunately, _Professor_ Slughorn is still intent on convincing Evans-and-_only_-Evans to apprentice to him, so I find myself in need of a master." He eyed the other man in a calculating manner. "Or a sponsor."

"I believe I could arrange something for you, Severus," Lucius Malfoy replied smoothly. A handsome young man of about twenty-two, Lucius Malfoy was a pureblood elitist—a _rich_ pureblood elitist—and a well-connected man in good societal standing.

Malfoy returned Severus' calculating look, and Peter, standing awkwardly half-behind, half-beside a large tree, wondered if all Slytherins exchanged such looks when making an agreement. Malfoy noticed Peter and motioned for him to come over. Severus threw Peter a disgusted look as he approached.

"If it pleases you," Lucius said to Severus, "I will sponsor your studies." Severus accepted. "Then you may accompany me to my mansion after the graduation ceremony. I'll have the house elves prepare your quarters." Severus nodded his thanks and took his leave quickly, skirting around Peter as though he was filth to be swept into the sewers. Swept into the sewers with the rats, Peter thought.

"Peter Pettigrew," Lucius Malfoy said.

"Sir," Peter replied, nodding his head respectfully. "What are you doing at Hogwarts, if I may ask?"

"Recruiting," Malfoy said, smiling. "I have become a very influential man in the Ministry and am in a position to help situate graduates such as yourself. Walk with me, Peter."

The two young men walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"I understand the Headmaster hasn't spoken to you about the war," Malfoy said. Peter didn't bother asking how he knew that. "Have you considered my offer?"

"A bit," Peter said. "I'll never be able to be an Auror like James Potter or Sirius Black want. I think a ministry desk job would be the best thing for me to help in the war."

"Surely _everybody_ isn't required to help with the war," Lucius Malfoy said smoothly. "And I _do_ need a personal assistant, Peter. I am a busy man, and my house elves are no longer is able to do everything I need done."

Peter considered two possible futures.

In the first, James and Lily are married. James and Sirius are dashing, brave Aurors. Remus is often absent on secret missions for the Headmaster. Peter is filing papers in a boring Ministry job. He logs long hours doing thankless work and during the rare times he sees his friends, they seem to be having a great time without the rat.

In the second, James and Lily are still married. James and Sirius are still Aurors, and Moony is still gone on secret missions. But in this one, Peter is the right-hand man to one of the most powerful and well-respected men in Wizarding Britain. Perhaps he works long hours, but he likes the work, and people respect him. Maybe even sometimes, his friends ask him to ask Lucius for something on their behalf. They _need_ him.

As they approached the castle, Malfoy placed a hand on Peter's arm.

"Do consider it," he said softly.

"I will," Peter promised. He turned away from the man and entered Hogwarts to meet his friends in the Great Hall.

* * *

Peter found them in their usual place at the Gryffindor table. James was fidgeting with impatience, Remus looked interested, and Sirius paled as Lily waved an envelope under his nose. "I found it," she taunted him. Sirius swiped at it half-heartedly, but Lily snatched it away.

"You're going to enjoy _this_, boys," she informed James and Remus as Peter plopped down across from Sirius, grinning.

"In my defense," Sirius said, "that lock was _very_ reflective."

Remus threw Sirius a puzzled look, and James ripped the envelope open to reveal the picture. It was the picture Lily had taken of fifth-year Sirius in the middle of his gorging session after accidentally casting the space-maker charm on himself. Picture-Sirius was covered in bits of mutton, gravy, and toast, and had a smear of chocolate mousse on his nose. He grinned out of the picture, then spewed multi-colored puke across the bowls.

"That never happened!" Sirius protested. "You've tampered with that picture, Evans!"

"It's what _would_ have happened if I hadn't reversed the charm when I did and you'd gone on eating for another hour," Lily retorted.

Remus turned to Sirius. "I thought you prided yourself on your ability with charms," he said. Sirius scowled.

"Yes, and Evans never brews a dud potion, I suppose," he muttered.

"No, I don't," Lily agreed, laughing.

"Say, have you accepted that apprenticeship with Slughorn?" Peter asked. Lily frowned.

"No, I haven't been able to make a decision yet," Lily said. "On the one hand, we will certainly be able to _use_ another Potions Master in the upcoming years. On the other hand, I'm not sure I could stand the man for a three-year apprenticeship." She sighed. "But I don't have to decide until the end of the summer."

"In other words," James put in, "after our romantic vacation celebration." He kissed Lily's neck. Peter looked away.

"What about you, Peter?" Remus asked kindly. "The Ministry, I suppose?"

"Actually," Peter began hesitantly, "Lucius Malfoy has asked me to be his personal assistant."

"_The_ Lucius Malfoy?" Sirius exclaimed. "Wasn't he one of the Slytherin prefects a few years back?" Sirius frowned disapprovingly.

"Yes," Peter said hesitantly, "but he's been an extraordinary help to the ministry recently, what with his money and connections. The Minister of Magic said he's been one of the biggest supporters. _And_ there's a good chance the vacant Hogwarts governorship will go to him. Plus, he's the patriarch of the Malfoy family now that his father's died, so he really does need an assistant," Peter concluded defensively.

"Are you going to accept?" Remus asked.

"Maybe," Peter replied. He was about to say more—about to entrust to his friends the strange, dark feel he got when speaking to Lucius Malfoy, the worry that the pureblood elitist _wasn't_ on the up-and-up—but then Sirius shot a spoonful of peas and instigated the Marauders' last Hogwarts food fight.

* * *

Their trunks were finally packed, and the seventh-years were all scrubbed clean and slightly pink from last-minute, post-food-fight showers. They waited outside the teachers' lounge.

Sirius was flirting with a pretty Hufflepuff girl who had known him long enough to ignore him. Remus was saying farewell to his Ravenclaw library companion, Theresa or some such name. Peter wondered if, had Remus not been a werewolf and afraid of hurting a loved one, there might have been something between Remus and the Ravenclaw girl.

The door opened and Dumbledore came out. He smiled benevolently at the seventh-years.

"Well, the time has come," he said. "You are about to leave Hogwarts as students for the final time. But you will always be a student as there is always something new to be learned, especially in these dark times." He paused. "Mister Potter, you have a pea in your ear. I personally like to keep them in bowls, but to each his own."

James flushed and removed the pea from his ear. Lily frowned at him. The Slyterins snickered.

Dumbledore opened the door, and the seventh-years filed into the Teacher's Lounge, which had been decorated with the house banners. The professors stood in their formal academic robes in a line on the other side of the room. Assorted elite members of the wizarding community—including Lucius Malfoy, the school governors, and the Minister of Magic, among others—stood about the room, watching the graduates.

Lily Evans was the first to approach the teachers. She was first in the class, with Severus Snape close behind her and Remus Lupin following hard on his heels.

"Professors," she said clearly, "I put myself, Lily Evans, forward for graduation of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I request to join Wizarding society as an accredited and practicing Witch."

The heads of the houses ceremonially confirmed her request and the Headmaster handed her the graduation scroll. Lily bowed to the professors and turned to her classmates, smiling.

Then came Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, a Ravenclaw girl Peter didn't know very well, then Remus' Ravenclaw library friend, another Slytherin, and then James Potter and Sirius Black. Each ceremony was much the same as the one before it with a little variation as the students worded their own requests. One of the teachers refused at first to grant blessing for Sirius' graduation, but it was only a joke on the notorious prankster.

Finally, it was time for Peter Pettigrew, tagalong Peter, ratty little Wormtail, who was last. Peter pitied himself in his thoughts. Poor little Peter Pettigrew, the boy who became a rat.

The professors were looking at him, waiting. Peter stepped forward. His palms were sweating profusely and he fumbled with his wand. Peter Pettigrew, the clumsy buffoon. James' and Sirius' ungainly sidekick. Last in the class. Peter Pettigrew, the incompetent moron. Brilliant Remus' inept, dim-witted shadow. He opened his mouth, but his throat was dry, and no words would come.

"Mister Pettigrew," said Professor Slughorn, "we are waiting for your graduation request. Surely _you_ believe you should graduate." He laughed at his own wit but finally fell silent.

"Mister Pettigrew," Professor Slughorn said again, albeit more kindly, "we don't have all day."

Peter stammered a few times. "I, P-P-Peter P-P-Pettigrew, p-place myself forward for gr-graduation," he finally managed.

"It is traditional," the Headmaster said, peering at Peter through his spectacles, "to ask the student placing last in the class to provide reasons why he or she should be allowed to graduate. So I ask you, Mister Pettigrew," he continued, and Peter thought he saw a cold spark in the Headmaster's usually kind eyes, "why should you be allowed to graduate?"

"_Hmm, I don't know," the Sorting Hat mused as it sat on his head. "You're a difficult one, Peter Pettigrew."_

_Peter was pretty much in the middle of the first years in the order of surnames. So far, the new Black boy had caused a commotion by quite dramatically being sorted into Gryffindor instead of the expected Slytherin, and some muggleborn had nearly burst into tears at being placed in Gryffindor._

_But now it was Peter's turn, and he'd been sitting on the stool for what seemed like forever. The entire school was staring at him, and he squirmed in embarrassment. _

_Hurry up, please, he thought urgently at the Hat._

"_Can't hurry something this important," the Hat scolded him. "You see, this is a unique problem. Usually, when I have trouble placing a student, it's because he or she has strong qualities revered in multiple Houses. You, on the other hand, don't seem to have _any_ outstanding qualities."_

_Well, thanks, Peter thought very sarcastically for an eleven-year-old. I'm pretty sure I'm not a squib or I wouldn't have been admitted._

"_Oh, no, you've got magic," the Hat replied. "Not very much, I'm afraid," it added rather disapprovingly, as though it was Peter's fault he'd never be a great wizard. "You've got some natural abilities, I'll admit, but I'm afraid you lean towards the weak in the range of qualities prized in the Houses. Not particularly intelligent, not particularly brave, not especially loyal, and not really very cunning. You're about average in everything. Yes, I think that's the problem, really. You're very average."_

_Well, for pete's sake! Peter exclaimed in his head. Put me _somewhere_ quickly, or they'll all think I'm a complete failure._

_Already, a professor was beginning to approach warily, obviously wondering if she should remove the Hat._

"_I just don't know!" the Hat wailed in Peter's head. "Perhaps you'd better decide. Where do you think you belong?"_

_Peter looked around at the House tables. Not Ravenclaw, he decided immediately. I'm no genius, and I'd be miserable with them. Not Slytherin, he thought next. They're kind of highbrowed, and I'd be an embarrassment. Maybe Hufflepuff?_

_He looked at the Hufflepuff table. They probably won't mind, he thought, that I don't quite measure up._

_Then he saw the Gryffindor table. The Black boy was poking the girl next to him, and a neat but shabby-looking boy on his other side was trying to get him to stop. The Hat noticed the direction of Peter's thoughts._

"_You'd probably be better off in Hufflepuff," it commented. "It'll be harder in some ways, but easier in others, because while the Hufflepuffs won't mind, the house that won't even notice—and which I can see you've chosen—is GRYFFINDOR!"_

_Feeling slightly dazed, Peter stood, handed the Hat to the professor who was already beside him, and stumbled over to the Gryffindor table. He fell into the spot across from the shabby-looking boy._

_The boy smiled at Peter. "I'm Remus Lupin." He extended a hand, which Peter shook._

"_Peter Pettigrew."_

_The Black boy grinned broadly, showing a full set of large, very white teeth. "Sirius Black of the Black family, proud to be the first Black in Gryffindor since before my mother can remember." He poked the girl next to him again._

"_Stop it, you brat," she snapped at him, green eyes flashing. "I'm Lily Evans," she added to Peter. "Damnit, Black, I _will_ curse you, even if it isn't allowed."_

"_Evans," repeated a new boy with unruly dark hair as he plopped down beside Peter. "Not a wizarding name, is it?"_

"_No, it's not," she replied shortly. "And I suppose yours is?"_

"_Potter," he said, "of the Godric's Hollow Potters. I'm James."_

"_Never heard of them," Evans replied._

"_I'm hurt," James retorted sarcastically._

"_Oh, shut up, Potter," she said curtly. "I'm trying to watch Severus' Sorting."_

_They all turned to look at the scrawny, greasy-haired boy sitting on the stool. The Hat barely touched his head before shouting, "SLYTHERIN!"_

"_Severus?" James repeated. "Looks like a sniveling little wretch."_

"_His name is Severus Snape," Lily replied primly. "And I'd rather associate with him than idiots like you."_

"_Well, how do you like that, Black?" James asked, laughing. "I think we can associate perfectly well here in Gryffindor without Snivelling Snape, can't we, boys?" He clapped Peter on the back and leaned forward conspiratorially. "I hear there's an actual _list _of things that aren't allowed. What do you say about us going to get a look at it later?"_

"_I don't know," Remus began hesitantly._

"_Oh, come on," Sirius said, a wicked sparkle in his eyes. "Surely you need to know what's not allowed so you can be sure not to do it."_

"_Well, maybe—"_

"_If he doesn't want to, let him alone," Potter said. He turned to Peter. "Here—what's your name?"_

"_Peter," Peter said. "Pettigrew."_

"_Pettigrew here will go with us," James said, "Won't you?"_

"_I—" Peter began. "Well, I mean, yes. Of course I will."_

"_Good man," James said, clapping Peter on the back again. "I think we'll find something to interest you soon, Lupin."_

"_We'll see," Remus replied._

_Peter dug into his meal with gusto. Maybe the Sorting Hat was wrong, he thought to himself. Maybe he could belong here._

Peter couldn't think of a response to Dumbledore's request. He'd been found wanting when he'd entered Hogwarts, so why should he be surprised to be found wanting when he left?

"He's a good friend," James said, stepping up beside him. "He's always been there when we've needed him."

"He picks things up quickly," Sirius added, coming up beside James. "He mightn't always be the best or most powerful, but he's a quick study."

"He works hard for what he gets," Remus chimed in, frowning slightly at the Headmaster as he joined his friends. "And this school has never withheld graduation from a student who earned acceptable scores on his OWLS and NEWTS."

The Headmaster smiled slightly, inclining his head at the Marauders. "Nor will it today," he said. "You have been spoken for, Mister Pettigrew. Congratulations," he spanned his arms to include all the graduates in the gesture, "to all of you."

Peter turned to his friends. "Thank you," he whispered, choked up. Sirius looked embarrassed.

"You would have done it for us," James said briskly, brushing off the thanks. "So, look, Lily completely understands about Moony's furry little problem, so I'll see all of you at the usual time, right?"

"What?" Remus asked, distracted.

"I'll just apparate in for the night from our vacation," James explained. "It'll be great. Just like old times." He grinned. "Or present times. Anyway, Lily doesn't mind."

Lily was currently involved in a discussion with Professor Slughorn. Severus, standing with Lucius Malfoy, was watching her with a look in his eyes that Peter couldn't decipher.

"That's great," Peter said, suddenly elated and feeling quite a bit more hopeful about the future. "Look, I'll talk to you all later."

Remus followed his gaze to the two former Slytherins. "Made your decision?" he asked.

"Yes," Peter replied. "Yes, I think I have."

Lucius Malfoy was not pleased. "You disappoint me, Peter," he said. "I do not make such offers lightly."

"Yes," Peter said a bit nervously, "I know."

"You will regret this," Lucius predicted. "When you do, the new offer will be much less prestigious," he warned.

"I don't think I'll regret it," Peter said.

"You will," the man said, smiling thinly. "It may be a few years, but you will. You have my card. By that time, Severus will need an assistant. Someone to wash his robes or scrub his cauldrons, perhaps."

"Perhaps," Peter replied mildly. "Good day, Mister Malfoy."

Lucius and Severus left together. The others left in twos and threes. James and Lily said their goodbyes, James again promising to see them soon. Remus left with the Headmaster to discuss some final details of whatever job the Headmaster had for the young werewolf. Finally, it was just Sirius and Peter.

"Well, I guess we'd best be off, Wormtail," Sirius said, stretching his lanky frame. "Where are you staying?"

"I don't know," Peter said. "I hadn't thought about it."

Sirus laughed his doglike bark of a laugh. "I got a bit of a place over near Diagon Alley. Why don't you kip on my couch for a while until we can get you fixed up."

"Really?" Peter asked. Sirius slung an arm around his shoulder.

"What are friends for?"

* * *

_Love? Hate? Review! __—K._


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